BATTLE OF NANAN
QIN MAIN HEADQUARTERS
KO SHOU POV
He'd retired from active duty a few years ago, after Haku Ki had failed to take Zhao's capital and subsequently killed himself. Ko Shou had not seen a reason to turn back to the battlefield, the road map to conquest he had carefully laid out was destroyed at that moment. The news of Haku Ki turning his back on the conquest they'd sworn to complete was too shocking and bitter for him to return and yet… and yet…
"I'm here once again." Ko Shou sat in the rear next to Oukotsu; he'd never call Oukotsu a friend but a brother. That was the way of the Qin Six; they were close to each other, but each had their own ego, and believed themselves the pinnacle of Qin's martial might in their own way.
As their leader had told them the first time, all of them had been gathered together. 'Brothers may quarrel at home, but outside they never fight alone.' Ko Shou ran a hand through his beard at the memory, casting a glance to the heavens above. The statement still rang true for him even to this day. Even if two of their brothers had departed, Haku Ki by suicide… 'And as for Shiba Saku ha-'
"What is it?" Oukotsu barged in like a brute, ripping him from his wistfulness, with a questioning look.
"Hmm, the first wave's momentum seems to have been dulled, and the Zhao army is taking it all in stride." Ko Shou had deduced from his spot, being able to see the battlefield properly, as if he were back in the academy teaching the young what it meant to be a strategist.
"Hmphed, it means nothing. They have yet to feel my axe." Oukotsu stated.
"So, sure of victory… but that child has reorganised his soldiers perfectly, even from such a difference, I can see that he's a great strategist in the making." Ko Shou replied, he'd not stayed idle in his retirement and kept an ear and eye to the happenings of all Kingdoms, especially the Zhao.
They were the bitterest of enemies, and that enmity only grew to another level after what Haku Ki had done. Like most, the first time he heard of Sei Chou was after the youngster killed Yan's Great General Chi Ketsu. For many, it was the fact that Sei Chou had killed Chi Ketsu that drew attention, but for Ko Shou, it was more the cunning plan that the Zhao General had used to kill him which caught his attention.
However, "I've still not been able to deduce if the boy is a strategist who has the martial might to back it up or a person gifted with both brains and brawn?" It had stumped him many times, and that fact drew him to this battle.
"Does it truly matter?" Oukotsu questioned before continuing, "The type of General you are does not mean anything after you are dead." Ko Shou nodded; that was how the game was. Whether you were the strategic type, instinctive type or a hybrid, all of it was pointless if you were dead.
"True words, but I still want to find out for myself just what type of General he is." The victories that Sei Chou added to his tally all varied, changing one after another. From showing the cunning of a strategist to the martial might and instinctive ability that kept up and nearly ended the wild beast that was Duke Hyou. More and more, Sei Chou seemed to be a hybrid, just like Ren Pa, but then he'd shatter that comparison as Ren Pa rarely ever conducted a battle like this.
"Then I will bring his head, and you can debate with it all you want," Oukotsu said and was just about to kick send out the second wave, but something changed in the scenery before them. The right flank's momentum had completely stopped.
"How interesting," Ko Shou said, his eyes narrowed, looking at the Chou Garyuu army.
….
ZHAO RIGHT FLANK / QIN LEFT FLANK
"War has and always will be about the flow." Chou Garyuu said to An Ki as they surveyed the right flank, where his army was fighting the Qin. He'd used his shifting sands tactic after receiving the initial charge from Ga Rou's 5,000 troops. Only allowing them to gain a bit of momentum before the iron wall of Chou Garyuu was deployed in full.
The chalkboard formation had completely stumped the Qin, and with Jo Rin and Jo Shou leading the Do Jaku at the front, his units were able to surge forward and strike hard. It was working perfectly, with the continuous rotations of troops, he kept his soldiers fresh whilst whittling down the Qin numbers on their side more and more.
"See, how we have the momentum at this moment, it can be inspiring and infectious, but never allow yourself to sink into that feeling too much." Chou Garyuu said.
An Ki was nodding along, committing the lesson to memory even as he didn't quite understand just why Lord Chou Garyuu had said the last part. From his point of view, the Chou Garyuu army was in position to sweep the right flank clean of Qin troops. As to him, it seemed the Qin's Oukotsu had completely abandoned this flank and focused on breaking through the other side, where Lord Gyou'un.
"Hah," Chou Garyuu, sensing the younger man's thoughts, "I can see it written plainly on your face. You don't understand why I'm staying so cautious… You will see soon." Time seemed to pass by, and more and more An Ki doubted Chou Garyuu's words until the second wave was sent out from Qin's headquarters.
"They sent out their second wave! And this time with more troops than the first?!" An Ki said, his eyes wide, the sound of 45,000 Qin soldiers racing down the plain in the same echelon formation.
"It started with 5,000, then they sent out 25,000 and now 45,000 troops." Chou Garyuu frowned slightly, looking at the numbers slamming into the Zhao line, across the whole defensive line that would make it 75,000 committed to battle for Qin, with more waiting in the reserves. Beside him, An Ki tried to stay cool-headed, but his mind was anything but calm. This was the first time he'd fought in a real battle with the Chou Garyuu army.
'They committed 75,000, we only placed 85,000 in the frontlines with a further 15,000 for reserves. We knew they would outnumber us, but this…' His words trailed off as he saw the Qin regain the flow of the battle and attack with renewed vigour, as if the second wave had brought an additional wind to them all.
For Chou Sou, it was a sight for sore eyes, even though they'd planned adequately and General Sei Chou had placed most of the troops in the flanks rather than the centre, in hope of the offensive. The Qin had countered him by matching his idea, and now the centre was thinner for it.
'But what are they hoping for?' An Ki wished the heavens would give him the answer, but he couldn't see it.
"Hmm, it seems we will have to fight on the frontlines, An Ki." Chou Garyuu said with a tone of voice that sounded far too amused for An Ki's liking. He'd been one of many who'd trained for years under the guidance of Chou Garyuu, with prospects of joining the Chou Garyuu army, but now it was coming to an end. He couldn't help but feel queasy at the thought of joining in the mass chaos that was in front of him.
"Y-yes, Lord Chou Garyuu." Was all he could say if not for being here, An Ki would've run for the hills.
"Do not fret, I've fought the Qin Six dozens of times previously." Chou Garyuu tried to reassure the youngster, who had initially joined with hopes of becoming a strategist but was quickly sorted into his cavalry when he showed signs of being able to handle himself martially.
An Ki nodded his head frantically at Chou Garyuu's words as he tried to draw some inspiration from them, "Wha-what do I have to fear? Lord Chou Garyuu had fought those two monsters before." He whispered words of motivation to himself as he stayed beside Chou Garyuu, who glanced at him from the corner of his eye and smirked before looking forward once more.
"There's truly nothing like the battlefield."
….
ZHAO LEFT FLANK / QIN RIGHT FLANK
GYOU'UN SIDE
"UOOOOUHHHHH!!!!"
"KILL THEM!!!"
"SLAUGHTER EVERY LAST ONE OF THE ZHAO!!!"
"DON'T LOSE ANY GROUND TO THE QIN!!!"
"UOOOOHHHH!!!"
The Zhao left flank that just felt contact with the second wave of Qin soldiers, was battling hard as the pressure on their lines grew. Like Zhao's right flank led by Chou Garyuu, the left commander Gyou'un was still stationed in his headquarters. However, unlike the Iron defence of the shifting sands formation, the Gyou'un army met brute force with brute force, wanting nothing more than to overpower their opposition.
The two sides continued to go all out on the offensive, holding nothing back. The effect was devastating as the left flank turned into a meat grinder.
"As expected of Oukotsu, his troops are very well trained." Genro, one of the ten spears under Gyou'un's command, commented on seeing the ferocious fighting. Neither side gave any quarter; the Zhao pumped up on hatred for the Qin and vice versa.
"Yeah… It seems they will still pose a challenge to us." Said Gyou'un. Without turning to Genro, he gave a command, "Tell Shinriku to cut a path."
"Yes, sir," Genro replied before giving orders from the messenger to tell Shinriku's unit in the rear to enter the battlefield.
The Shinriku unit was made up of veteran cavalrymen. As a strike force, they used multiple weapons to devastate their enemies and send them into a state of shock. Splitting off from the left, they wrapped around, heading to the very outskirts of the battlefield, before curving back in and piercing directly through the Qin's unprotected side.
Shinriku knew what his job was, and that was to draw the attention of as many Qin soldiers as possible. By dealing with his unit being a distraction that needed to be dealt with, they managed to alleviate some of the mounting pressure on Gyou'un's front lines.
"You lot who've not even seen the might of Lord Gyou'un are already trembling this much! And you dare rouse the anger of our Lord?!!" Shinriku shouted as he threw a shortened spear that cut through the air with a whistle, before slamming hard into a Qin infantryman, sending him into his friend behind him.
"UOOOAAAH!!!"
"UOOOAAAH!!!"
The Shinriku unit's attack started to gain momentum, as spears pierced holes through heads and glaives decapitated others. Some of the infantrymen were knocked onto their backs before being trampled on by a warhorse or a friend.
Still, the Shinriku did not have it all their own way; this was a Qin Great General army after all, and they were able to respond in remarkable time to match the ferocity shown by Shinriku.
"Skewer and screw these guys," recovering from the initial shock had taken some time for those who were conscripted troops in the Great General Oukotsu's army. The seasoned warriors who'd seen this all before kept their wits in the pressure and dealt strikes back at the Shinriku.
Three, four and even five men with spears were singling out cavalrymen and spooking their horses, before more foot soldiers came with spears and pierced through the riders.
"Don't stand idle! Surround them from all sides!"
"Have you guys forgotten your damn training!"
"This is what happens when you let children on the battlefield!" Some of the seasoned warriors mocked their fellow soldiers, which only seemed to rile up the greener troops into action.
Shinriku, seeing that the shock was wearing off, decided it was time to withdraw and attack somewhere else. Some of the aggrieved Qin soldiers chased after them, breaking away from the frontlines in frustration even as their commanders called for them to return.
"Haha, they're so angry we killed their friends! They'd even chase after us on foot whilst we have horses!" A member of the Shinriku unit said, chuckling at the sight. This was all seen by Gyou'un at his headquarters, who quickly and calmly sent out orders.
"Have the Ron unit make the same do the same once more, just a little deeper into the Qin lines. This time, not a straight line but diagonally. They're to shake the enemy formation even more than the Shiniriku."
"Yes, sir!"
"Then have the Ei unit capitalise on the chaos there."
"Yes, sir!"
The instinctual capabilities of Gyou'un, who'd also been drilled with tactics, deployment and formations by Lord Rin Shou Jo, were brought out in their fullest in the Zhao left flank. Despite being so thoroughly outnumbered, the Zhao left flank began to overpower the Qin right flank.
In the Qin right flank headquarters, the strategist could not make heads or tails out of whatever it was that Gyou'un was doing. All they could do was organise more soldiers to try and overwhelm the places that they perceived Gyou'un would attack.
More and more reports were coming back that their commanders were being slain, or that their troops were being blocked from moving forward due to being halted by a small Zhao group.
And the commander started to lose it.
"Dammit! Let me think!" The lead strategist of Qin's right flank shouted at his messengers who only seemed to be bringing him bad news.
'How can he see through me so plainly? Why are they always beating us to the punch? Just what is going on?' The strategist tried and tried to look for the answer, but as more reports came, the pressure piled on.
"Sir! Another daring charge from the Zhao has hit all cavalry, and they've managed to cut deep into our lines! The infantry chased after them!"
"What?!! Why would they do that?!" He shouted back.
"Dammit! Have another unit go there and back them up!"
"Yes, sir!" The messenger said before bowing and going to head off, but he was stopped.
"You seem to be struggling." A calm voice said, causing the strategist to turn around and look at just who was speaking to him. Turning, he saw a handsome man with long black hair dressed in ornate armour.
"Sh-Shou Hei Kun!?" He couldn't believe the famous student of Lord Ko Shou was now in front of him.
"Why are you here? I thought you'd be with Lord Ko Shou at the main headquarters?" The man questioned back.
"Teacher Ko Shou sent me here to take command." Shou Hei Kun replied in the same calm voice, as if this was the usual course of action he had seen.
"Huh?" The strategist who was also the commander of the Qin forces on the right wing was so shocked that he forgot to be angry at the thought of having been demoted.
"Yes, and Lord Oukotsu agreed with teacher Ko Shou's judgement." Shou Hei Kun said before turning to the rest of the men. "Now, I will be relying on all of you to help me, as this is my first battle."
"HUHHHH?!!"
CHAPTER DONE